


Flowers For Thorin

by acuteroses



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bilbo Remains In Erebor, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Post-Battle of Five Armies, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Declarations Of Love, Erebor, Flower Language, Flowers, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, My First AO3 Post, Pining, Thorin is a Softie, bagginshield, bilbo uses flowers to express his emotions, my friend wanted me to post this so blame her, thorin loves it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-15 00:03:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18062747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acuteroses/pseuds/acuteroses
Summary: It had become a habit for him, as Bilbo grew up, to use this knowledge of flower languages to express many of his feelings and emotions, both to others and to himself, when even he found it hard to understand them.





	Flowers For Thorin

**Author's Note:**

> Meanings of each flower will be listed here, in order of mention and repeated if necessary (all meanings got from the internet);  
> Red Roses - love, longing, desire, respect, admiration, devotion  
> Black Roses - death, farewell  
> Deep Red Rose - regret, sorrow  
> King Protea - Change, transformation, daring, resourcefulness, courage  
> Statice - Remembrance, sympathy, success  
> A Single Orange Rose - “I am proud of you”  
> Lavender Rose - Enchantment, love at first sight, majesty, splendour, fascination, adoration  
> One Red Rose - “I love you” “You are the one for me”

Bilbo was rather very fond of his garden. He had cared for it for much of his life, and continued to do so even when he had the employment of Hamfast Gamgee to do so for him, for it was both good company and something that brought them both much comfort and joy. Unlike many residents of Hobbiton, Bilbo cared less for growing vegetables and other foods, and instead spent much of his time on flowers. Each day he would sit in his garden, smoke his pipe and regard the myriad of different colours of petals that surrounded his home, each with a different meaning that he knew all too well. It had become a habit for him, as Bilbo grew up, to use this knowledge of flower languages to express many of his feelings and emotions, both to others and to himself, when even he found it hard to understand them.

He could not remember when this habit of his began, for he was very young when his interest in flowers blossomed in his heart and it never quite died down since. He had a flower in his garden for almost every occasion, and was confident he could culture them all in any climate. However, when 13 dwarves stumbled through his door, he found it hard to match any amount of flowers to the many emotions running through his head - confusion, anger, irritation, curiosity, wonder ... and even a little excitement. He did not have time to give much thought to his garden while rushing out of the door next morning to find his company, simply leaving a note for Hamfast to inform him of his absence and to ask him to take care of the garden in his leave.

It was not often Bilbo thought of his garden and flowers during his quest with Thorin and his company, for he was much too busy fighting off orcs and elves and gigantic spiders that apparently had nothing more to do than to make his life miserable for the next few months. Fortunately, apart from the constant threat of death, Bilbo was rather enjoying his trip with the dwarven folk. Despite their differences, he got along splendidly with many of them, including, surprisingly, the dwarven Princes Fili and Kili, and their uncle King Thorin. It had a rather rocky beginning, Bilbo's relationship with Thorin. They never saw eye to eye, and not only due to the height difference between them both. Anger and confusion clouded Bilbo's mind whenever he talked to Thorin, however towards the end of their journey, that had quickly begun to change. The way Thorin's eyes caught his, and the way his lips curled upwards in response to his jokes and tales, the shared fights and fears, how Thorin began to come to him after every battle and how he always had an ear to lend - all he felt was red roses.

However, when the Battle of the Five Armies fell upon them, and Bilbo found his hand clutched over the heart of the dwarven King, begging it to beat, they all slowly fell black.

Bilbo stayed by Thorin's side for three days while he recovered, never moving and rarely sleeping. It wasn't until Thorin had first opened his eyes that Bilbo had allowed him to give into the throws of sleep, despite first taking time to talk to Thorin and alleviate both their battle weary souls. Due to the harsh and fluctuating conditions of the King, Bilbo had agreed to stay in Erebor with the company through the winter to assist in getting the kingdom back on its feet. When Bilbo had first announced this in his letter to Hamfast (in which he also declaired that he was not dead, thank you very much) he struggled to come up with an excuse which did not involve him pouring his heart out to his gardener (since he was semi-certain the letter would be read) but in the end he figured the winter would serve as a fitting reason. However, there was also a certain something extra Bilbo asked of Hamfast in his letter, one that he prayed that his gardener would oblige.

\---

Thorin was at first very confused when a deep red rose turned up by his bedside in the medical room, which had quickly been moved off the battlefield and into Erebor. It was fresh, fully in bloom and petals vibrant, which continued to add to the confusion, for how would a flower like this survive the desolation and make its way to his bedside, neatly cut and precisely placed. Thorin sighed as he looked upon it. He had never been one for flowers, or any natural thing, but spending time with the Hobbit over his journey and listening to him wax poetic about each thing they saw with petals on their journey was enough to at least help him appreciate the rose. Perhaps, Thorin thought, Bilbo would know who delivered the flower to him, and hopefully if he does know then he is at liberty to tell him.

In fact, when Bilbo next entered the healers room to deliver the news of the day to Thorin, he was just as surprised as he when he saw the flower. "Who brought you this, Thorin?" he asked curiously, picking the thorned flower up gently and turning it in the light, watching with a childlike wonder how the petals fell with the pull of the earth.

"I do not know, master Baggins. I was hoping you would know the deliverer, or at the very least its meaning," he spoke, shifting himself slightly so he was able to sit in his bed, bandages and rags-a-plenty covering his chest and arms.

"Well," Bilbo murmured, looking thoughtfully at the flora, squinting his eyes and ever so slightly sticking his tongue from his mouth. "I do believe it's a deep red rose, which normally means regret or sorrow. Perhaps someone wishes to apologise to you Thorin, or maybe they feel sorry for you, being stuck in your condition after the wounds of the battle 'nd all." Thorin chuckled.

"That's peculiar indeed, master Baggins," he laughed, turning to Bilbo, who now held the flower rather defensively to his chest. He forced out a small snicker and sighed lightly, turning to put the deep red rose into a small jug of water which had been left by Thorin's bed.

"To make it last longer." Bilbo gave a short smile and curtly left the room, leaving Thorin to himself and his thoughts for a little while longer.

\---

Ever since the first instance with a flower by his side, more and more have been showing up around Thorin with no explanation, and they were only becoming more and more regular. After the first deep red rose wilted, a few more came and went until Thorin was back on his feet and running his kingdom. Then a bouquet of king protea left for him during his coronation, small collections of statice left throughout the castle on the celebration day of the reclamation of Erebor, a single orange rose left on his desk after an incredibly infuriating peace meeting with King Thranduil - the list goes on and on! Each and every time a new variant of flower appeared within Erebors halls, he would immediately take it to Bilbo and would ask the same two questions - 'what does it mean and who is it from?'

And, each and every time, Bilbo would only answer one. He was always so adamant he had no idea who the culprit was behind these random flower deliverances, and he was also adamant that he would not help Thorin try and figure it out. "It's rather sweet," Bilbo would proclaim, holding which ever flower Thorin had brought to him close to his chest, examining it closely. "Maybe someone likes you Thorin, or maybe they just want to talk to you and are too shy to do so."

To that Thorin had to laugh, and laugh he did, and the burglar laughed along with him for they both knew it to be false. However, when a lavender purple rose later turned up in Thorin's office, he was truly starting to worry. Anxiously, he brought the flower to Bilbo, who was sat in his own small office translating elvish texts to the common Westeron, which he did both to keep himself busy and to preserve the knowledge from the old library in Erebor. When Bilbo first saw the flower, he turned positively red, spluttering slightly as he took it from Thorin's hands.

"L ... Lavender," he whispered, "is usually given to signify love, specifically love at first sight. It shows adoration and enchantment with the one you love, and shows that you think the one who love is majestic, and has splendour."

"How do you know so much about the language of flowers, mister Baggins, given that you already have so many of them at your disposal," Thorin questioned, turning to look at the still blushing hobbit.

"Well, I guess they have always just been am easier way to express emotion, giving flowers to people. My mother, Belladonna Took, did it all the time to her many friends and relatives, so I suppose I picked it up from her sometime before she passed, bless her heart. She taught me many of the languages I know now, so I guess it was only fitting. I have a garden full of flowers back at Bag End, once again inherited from my mother, and they always entranced me so, so I think that ..."

Bilbo stopped suddenly, turning to look at Thorin who was stood watching him with an intense intent. He almost felt foolish, rambling on about his mother and his garden while no doubt gesturing wildly with the lavender rose still caught in his fist.

"Excuse me," he apologised, handing back the flower to Thorin. "I ramble."

"There is no need to apologise, master Baggins," Thorin smiled, taking the flower back from Bilbo. With that, Thorin left Bilbo's office, smiling lightly to himself as he held the flower in his hands. Thorin now had an idea from who the flower came from, and dear God he hoped it was right.

\---

The next time a flower appeared mysteriously within the walls of Erebor, it was not in Thorin's office. Poor Bilbo nearly had a heart attack the morning he walked into his office and found one lonely red rose laying on his paperwork, perfectly in bloom and petals vibrant. For a few moments, his brain was filled with confusion and wonder - where did it come from? Who was it from?

He knew who it was from.

Picking up the rose, the hobbit ran from his office like the orcs were back on his heels, skidding round corners and dipping under the arms of other dwarves, desperate to reach Thorin's office. It wasn't until he had knocked on the door and Thorin stood in front of him that he realised he didn't have any plan of what to say. He simply thrust the flower out towards Thorin and cried, "Where did you get this? Where did you find this? I thought I had hid the flowers I requested from Hamfast well enough that no one would find them, and now you've gone and done ... well, done ... this!"

Thorin only smiled. He took the fist that clenched the flower in his hands and held it tightly. "Master Baggins, I know it is you who has been delivering these flowers to me ..."

"Well yes Thorin, if you hadn't have figured it out by now I quite literally just said it," Bilbo cried, flustered.

"Master Baggins!"

"Thorin!"

"Master Baggins I am in love with you too!"

Silence.

"Bilbo, when you gave me that lavender rose, you mentioned how you use the language of flowers to express emotions you cannot put into words, so I took an idea from your own book, so to speak. I assume the red rose means what I hope it means, otherwise I believe there has been a bit of an error" The smile on Thorin's face was soft and calm, his eyes holding nothing but love and adoration for the hobbit stood in front of him.

"One red rose," Bilbo spoke barely above a whisper, his voice shaking as he spoke, "symbolises love. It means 'You're the only one for me'"

"Then I believe that my intentions were not misread?" Thorin questioned, slowly leaning closer to Bilbo as he spoke.

"No, I believe they we're not misread, Thorin Oakenshield. My love is yours, if you want it?"

"Want it? I would be honoured to have your love Bilbo Baggins."

Bilbo stayed in Erebor, ruling alongside Thorin as the great dwarven kingdom rebuilt itself, and when the spring came, Bilbo began his new garden. The first flower he planted were red roses.


End file.
